In the last few years, California and several other states have enacted
legislation to prevent some of the worst abuse of farm animals. But last
week Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) successfully introduced an amendment to the
farm bill that would not only jeopardize those laws, but also any laws
passed by any other state that might seek to restrict factory farm cruelty.

The current Farm Bill expires at the end of September, so Congress has to
cobble together a new one in a hurry. King's amendment was introduced near
midnight at the very end of a marathon session. It was debated for a grand
total of 20 minutes, and then passed by the House Committee on Agriculture.
...But Congressman King is proud of his amendment because, he says, it
"will ensure that radical organizations like the Humane Society of the
United States... are prohibited from establishing... restrictive state
laws." King doesn't want anyone, particularly anyone associated with animal
welfare causes, telling America's farmers how to raise and care for their
animals. ...